EP Review: Drown this City – Alpha // Survivor (UNFD)

Freshly signed to UNFD and armed with their colossal new EP Alpha // Survivor, Melbourne post-hardcore band Drown This City are marking an exciting new era. With lead single ‘In Your Image’ at the helm, the six-track EP marks a triumphant statement of resurgence for the group, who amid personal demons threatening their existence, bunkered down to refocus, reenergise and prepare for their ascension into this very moment. Alpha // Survivor is out Friday July 5th 2019 via UNFD.

The band have been fervently rebuilding both as individuals and as a group. Lead vocalist Alex Reade explains that the five-piece have resurfaced a more solidified group than ever, and Alpha // Survivor harnesses all of their pain and triumph in a fierce six-track package.

We’ve been through heart ache, break downs, low moments and the highest of highs and together have only gotten stronger,” she explains. “We’ve supported each other to be powerful as well as vulnerable, and through this connection we’ve come out of dark times and rebuilt Drown This City, ready to be released in its new form.

Amid her own personal turmoil Reade was fascinated by the idea of both a powerful survivor and a broken victim residing in herself.

You can be the most powerful creator in one moment, and the weakest broken soul in the next, it’s just a choice, and the battle is only ever within yourself and with your thoughts,” Reade explains. All of these songs are about that message and how they relate in love and life and an ongoing quest for self-discovery and empowerment.

Don’t be afraid of your own power, your own ability to heal and be strong and be above everyone else. Even if it’s lonely up there – it’s where you belong.

Combining hardcore fire and fury with cleaner choruses led by epic female vocals, Drown This City are certainly something a little different within the post-hardcore landscape. All the frills are there; ear-bleedingly fast riffing, technical proficiency that reverberates throughout the skull and ungodly breakdowns. However, it’s broken up with tempo shifts that allow the powerful clean vocals to just soar. All of this just on Stay Broken.

Whereas In Your Image sees both the male and female vocals vie for dominance with a spitfire approach. A little bit different and showing off some impressive range within post-hardcore.

Which is pretty much what this EP is, a chance for Drown This City to show off just what they are capable of. Null is on another level in regards to how much it lifts and Love Makes Cowards Of Us All really pushes the boat out in the riffs department while also taking things to their absolute heaviest.

Finally it’s Void’s job to close out a hell of an EP with one last post-hardcore effort. Although it’s far from the best of what we’ve heard so far simply by comparison.

Drown This City – Alpha // Survivor Full Track Listing:

1. Don’t Forget To
2. Stay Broken
3. In Your Image
4. Null
5. Love Makes Cowards Of Us All
6. Void

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